Schmitz alleges that she was the victim of threats and harassment, stating on her website:

The incident, which took place over the weekend, saw Schmitz going through airport security at O’Hare Airport when TSA security staff asked to inspect her flute.

“I’ve flown with my flute at least a few thousand times, and it’s frequent they ask to look at the case, even open it, to see what it is. But today a power-hungry agent decided to mess with me and said my flute headjoint needed to be removed from its case and run thru the X-ray LOOSE in a bin.”

“I said this was absolutely not an option, despite three supervisors assuring me my flute made of gold ‘would be fine’ rattling around in a bin. And when I insisted that this was not, in fact, 'standard procedure' and closed the case so they wouldn’t damage it, they called the Chicago Police department to have me removed from the airport.”

Schmitz was then fully searched by the police, while the flute itself was wrapped in nothing more than paper towels as it was scanned.

Schmitz also explained that one of the staff accused her of physical violence: “One agent told the police I tried to hit him, which I did not. He also detained me at the gate saying I was “not allowed to leave” until the police arrived.”

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